The invention relates to a device for distributing electrical energy to a plurality of control units of a vehicle.
A vehicle (in particular a road vehicle such as e.g. a passenger car, a truck or a motorbike) includes a multiplicity of control units for a multiplicity of functions of the vehicle. The individual control units have to be supplied with electrical energy from an on-board power system of the vehicle. Furthermore, the individual control units have to be connected into a communications network in order to permit data to be exchanged between various control units of the vehicle. Furthermore, suitable cooling of the control units is usually necessary. To summarize, the electrical supply, the connection into a communications network and/or the cooling of the multiplicity of control units gives rise to substantial integration expenditures, high costs and a need for a large amount of installation space.
The present document is concerned with the technical task of permitting efficient integration of a multiplicity of control units in a vehicle.
The object is achieved by a supply rail for a motor vehicle, as well as an on-board power supply system having the supply rail, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
According to one aspect, an on-board power system for a vehicle is described. The on-board power system includes a multiplicity of electrical modules. Exemplary modules are a control unit of the vehicle, a DC converter, a charger device, a switching element, a fuse, an electrical energy accumulator, etc. The electrical modules of the multiplicity of electrical modules are usually arranged at least partially at different points on the vehicle here. In other words, the on-board power system is designed to connect electrical modules which are located at different points (e.g. in different regions) on the vehicle into the on-board power system. For example, at least one electrical module can be arranged in a front region (e.g. under a hood) of the vehicle. Furthermore, at least one other electrical module can be arranged in a rear region (e.g. in or under a trunk) of the vehicle.
The on-board power system also includes a supply rail. The supply rail is designed to provide an energy supply for the large number of modules. Furthermore, the supply rail is designed to permit data communication between the modules. In particular, the supply rail includes a first busbar which is designed to provide electrical energy with a first supply voltage (in particular a DC voltage, e.g. at 12 V or 48 V) for supplying energy to the multiplicity of electrical modules. The first busbar can have a supply conductor and a separate ground conductor. The first supply voltage can be applied between the supply conductor and the ground conductor.
Furthermore, the supply rail includes means for transmitting data, which means are configured to permit a data exchange between (in each case) at least two of the multiplicity of electrical modules. The means for transmitting data can include, in particular, one or more dedicated data lines which run at least partially parallel to the first busbar along the supply rail. Alternatively or additionally, the means for transmitting data can include electrical conductors (in particular the supply conductor and the ground conductor) of the first busbar for a power line communication. The provision of power line communication constitutes an efficient possible way of providing (if appropriate additional) transmission bandwidth for the data exchange between the multiplicity of electrical modules.
Furthermore, the supply rail includes a multiplicity of plug-in locations for the multiplicity of electrical modules. In this context a first plug-in location of the multiplicity of plug-in locations is designed to connect, via a first plug-in connection, a first electrical module of the multiplicity of electrical modules to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data. In a corresponding way, via the multiplicity of plug-in locations the other modules of the multiplicity of modules can be connected via plug-in connections to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data.
The on-board power system permits, through the use of a central supply rail, a multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle, which are arranged at different points on the vehicle, to be connected efficiently in terms of cost and installation space. For example, the central supply rail can extend from the front region of the vehicle as far as the rear region of the vehicle (e.g. as a rail which runs in a linear fashion). Electrical modules of the vehicle can then be plugged in at different points in the plug-in locations of the supply rail in order to integrate the modules into the on-board power system.
The first electrical module can comprise a circuit board with a plug. The plug of the first electrical module can then form, with the first plug-in location, the first plug-in connection. That is to say the electrical modules can have plugs which can each be plugged into a plug-in location in order to connect the electrical module to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data. The plugs can be permanently connected to a circuit board on the respective module (corresponding to plug-in cards of a computer). In particular the modules can be implemented as plug-in cards which can each be plugged into a plug-in location of the supply rail in order to connect the respective module to the first busbar and to means for transmitting data. The supply rail can correspondingly be constructed similarly to a motherboard of a computer and can provide the multiplicity of plug-in locations for the electrical modules. This permits an efficient connection of the multiplicity of modules into the on-board power system.
The first electrical module can even have no module-specific housing. In other words, an electrical module can be plugged into a plug-in location of the supply rail without having a separate housing (e.g. as a plug-in card). The supply rail can then be designed to provide a mechanical protection for the multiplicity of electrical modules (e.g. for the multiplicity of plug-in cards). For example, a mechanical protection can be provided by a circuit board of the supply rail on the plug-in location side of the supply rail. The circuit board of the supply rail can comprise the first busbar and the means for transmitting data. Furthermore, a common housing (e.g. a common cover) can be provided for all electrical modules, which are plugged onto the supply rail. Therefore, the installation space for the multiplicity of modules can be reduced.
The first electrical module can be an energy management control unit for the on-board power system. The energy management control unit can be designed to ensure that a requirement for electrical energy in the vehicle is covered. For this purpose, the energy management control unit can be designed to control, via the means for transmitting data, at least one other module of the multiplicity of electrical modules and/or to receive data from at least one other module of the multiplicity of electrical modules. In this context, the at least one other module can comprise one or more of: a control unit for an electrical energy accumulator (e.g. for a battery) of the on-board power system; a control unit for a generator of electrical energy (e.g. for a dynamo or a generator) of the on-board power system; a control unit for an electrical consumer of the on-board power system; a power switch; and/or a fuse.
By placing the energy management control unit in a plug-in location of the supply rail, the energy management control unit is enabled to efficiently communicate with a multiplicity of other electrical modules of the vehicle in order to detect the requirement for electrical energy and, if appropriate, adapt it, and in order to make an energy generator of the vehicle generate sufficient electrical energy.
The energy management control unit can be designed to measure a current through the first busbar at the first plug-in location. Alternatively or additionally, the energy management control unit can be designed to measure a level of the first supply voltage at the first plug-in location. The placing of the energy management control unit in a plug-in location of the supply rail therefore permits efficient monitoring of an electrical on-board power system provided via the first busbar.
Alternatively or additionally, the first electrical module (or another module of the multiplicity of modules) can be a central gateway for a data communication means network of the vehicle. The central gateway can be connected to a multiplicity of different bus systems (e.g. a CAN bus, a FlexRay bus, an Ethernet bus, a MOST bus, a LIN bus, etc.) via the means for transmitting data. Furthermore, the central gateway can be designed to permit a data exchange between the different bus systems. Furthermore the central gateway can be designed to control, via the means for transmitting data, a data flow from or to at least one module of the multiplicity of electrical modules. Efficient control of the data flows in the vehicle is made possible by the placing of the gateway in a plug-in location of the supply rail.
The supply rail can also comprise a second busbar which is designed to provide electrical energy in the case of a second supply voltage for the energy supply of the multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle. In this context, the second supply voltage differs from the first supply voltage. The first supply voltage can be e.g. 12 V, and the second supply voltage can be e.g. 48 V (or vice versa). The second busbar typically runs at least partially parallel to the first busbar along the supply rail (in particular along the multiplicity of plug-in locations). By way of the integration of a second busbar into the supply rail of the vehicle, electrical multi-voltage on-board power systems can be efficiently implemented in a vehicle. Furthermore, depending on the local requirement by use of a distributed arrangement of DC/DC converters in the plug-in locations along the supply rail it is possible to switch electrical energy between the first and second busbars.
According to a further aspect, a supply rail for a vehicle is described. The supply rail can have one or more of the features described in this document. The supply rail can be used in an on-board power system of a vehicle (e.g. in the abovementioned on-board power system).
As already explained, the supply rail typically comprises at least a first busbar which is designed to provide electrical energy with a first supply voltage for supplying the energy to a multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle. In this context, the electrical modules of the multiplicity of electrical modules are typically arranged at different points or in different regions of the vehicle.
Furthermore, the supply rail typically comprises means for transmitting data, which means are configured to permit a data exchange between (in each case) at least two of the multiplicity of electrical modules. As already explained above, the means for transmitting data can comprise one or more dedicated data lines. Alternatively or additionally, power line communication can be made possible via the lines of the first busbar (and/or a second busbar).
Furthermore, the supply rail comprises a multiplicity of plug-in locations for the multiplicity of electrical modules, wherein a first plug-in location of the multiplicity of plug-in modules is designed to connect, via a first plug-in connection, a first electrical module of the multiplicity of electrical modules to the first busbar and to the means for transmitting data. The multiplicity of plug-in locations can, as already explained, be arranged on a circuit board of the supply rail. The electrical modules can be plugged (at least partially) as plug-in cards into a respective plug-in location.
The supply rail can also comprise a temperature-control duct which is designed to carry a thermally conductive medium past the multiplicity of electrical modules or past the multiplicity of plug-in locations. In particular, the temperature-control duct can be arranged along the multiplicity of plug-in locations. In this context, the thermally conductive medium can comprise a liquid or a gaseous medium. For example, the temperature-control duct comprises at one first end of the supply rail an inlet for the thermally conductive medium, and at a second end of the supply rail an outlet for the thermally conductive medium. The medium can then be carried past a multiplicity of plug-in locations between the first and second ends in order to carry away thermal energy (in particular heat) from the plug-in locations (and from the modules placed therein) or in order to output thermal energy to the plug-in locations (and the modules placed therein).
The provision of a supply rail with a temperature-control duct permits temperature control of the multiplicity of electrical modules of a vehicle which is efficient in terms of cost and installation space. Furthermore, the energy consumption of the vehicle for the temperature control can be reduced by centralizing the temperature control.
The temperature-control duct can be formed at least partially by the bodywork of the vehicle. For example, a side wall of the temperature-control duct can be formed by the bodywork of the vehicle. It is therefore possible to provide a temperature-control duct which is efficient in terms of cost and installation space.
The supply rail can comprise means (e.g. specific materials and/or heat sinks) which permit thermal energy to be transmitted with a specific conductivity from the first electrical module to the thermally conductive medium, and vice versa. The specific conductivity is preferably higher here than a conductivity of air. It is therefore possible to achieve the most comprehensive possible exchange of thermal energy between the electrical modules and the thermally conductive medium.
According to a further aspect, an on-board power system for a vehicle is described. As already explained, the on-board power system comprises a multiplicity of electrical modules, wherein the electrical modules of the multiplicity of electrical modules are arranged at least partially at different points on the vehicle. Furthermore, the on-board power system comprises a supply rail which is described in this document. This supply rail can be a temperature-control duct, as explained above.
The on-board power system can comprise a control unit which is designed to detect a requirement for thermal energy of the multiplicity of electrical modules. In particular it is possible to detect whether thermal energy is to be fed to the modules or whether thermal energy is to be extracted from the modules. Furthermore, the quantity of thermal energy which is to be absorbed or carried away can be determined. For example, for this purpose it is possible to detect current temperatures of the electrical modules from which it typically becomes apparent whether a module has to be cooled or heated.
The control unit can also be designed to determine a property of the thermally conductive medium, in particular a temperature and/or a pressure of the thermally conductive medium, as a function of the detected requirement of thermal energy. For example it is possible to detect which temperature and/or which pressure the thermally conductive medium should have at the inlet of the temperature-control duct for the detected quantity of thermal energy to be able to be carried away from the electrical modules or output to the electrical modules. The use of a central temperature-control duct therefore permits comprehensive and efficient thermal management for a multiplicity of electrical modules of the vehicle.
The control unit can also be designed to detect when the vehicle is in a regeneration phase. In a regeneration phase, the vehicle can typically convert kinetic energy of the vehicle into another form of energy (in particular into electrical energy). The converted energy can then be used in the vehicle (in particular in an electrical on-board power system of the vehicle). It is therefore possible for energy consumption of the vehicle to be reduced. The time of a regeneration phase can, under certain circumstances, be predicted, for example on the basis of navigation data of the vehicle. Furthermore, it is possible to detect whether the vehicle is already in a regeneration phase or whether a regeneration phase is starting.
The control unit can be designed to cause the thermally conductive medium to be adapted according to the determined property during the regeneration phase. In particular, a temperature and/or a pressure of the medium can be changed during the regeneration phase. For example, a temperature of the medium can be reduced and/or a pressure of the medium can be increased (in order to subsequently be able to absorb heat from the electrical modules). It is therefore possible for the medium and the temperature-control duct to be used as a thermal accumulator for regenerated energy. This gives rise to a further reduction in the energy consumption of the vehicle.
The control unit can be arranged in a plug-in location of the supply rail. Furthermore, the control unit can be designed to communicate with the multiplicity of electrical modules via the means for transmitting data, in order to detect the requirement for thermal energy. In particular, temperature information of the individual modules can be transferred to the control unit via the means for transmitting data.
The control unit can also be designed to determine that thermal energy is to be fed to a component of the vehicle (e.g. a lead battery of the vehicle or an air-conditioning unit of the vehicle) which is not arranged on one of the multiplicity of plug-in locations of the supply rail. For example it is possible to detect that the temperature of a lead battery undershoots a specific threshold value and therefore heating should be carried out. The control unit can then cause the thermally conductive medium to be at least partially fed to the component of the vehicle at an outlet of the temperature-control duct in order to feed thermal energy to the component. It is therefore possible to improve the method of functioning of the component in a cost-efficient way.
According to a further aspect, a vehicle (e.g. a passenger car, a truck or a motorbike) is described which comprises the on-board power system described in this document.
It is to be noted that the methods, devices and systems described in this document can be used both alone as well as in combination with other methods, devices and systems which are described in this document. Furthermore, any aspects of the methods, device and systems which are described in this document can be combined with one another in a variety of ways.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.